Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1887-08-18
ANOTHER RAILROAD HORROR.
An Illinois Excursion Train Goes
Through Bridge and Over One
Hundred are Killed.

CHICAGO, Aug. IA Chicago Times
special from Forest H., says All the
railway horrors in the history of this
country were surpassed three miles
east of Chaisworth last night, when an
excursion train on the Toledo, Peoria
and Western road dropped through a
burning bridge and oyer one kindred
people were killed and four times that
number were more or less injured. The
train was composed of six sleeping cars
six day coaches and chairs cars
and three baggage cars. 1t
was carrying 900 passengers, all excur-
sionists, and was bound for Niagara
Falls. The train had been up ali a.
long the line of the Toledo, Peoria and
Western road and the eXcursionist
hailed from various points in central
Illinois, the bulk of them, however,
coming fromP Peoria. .SOmeof the passen-
gers came from Canton, Elpaso, Wash
jngton and, in fact, all stations along
the line;some from as far as Burlington
and Keokuk, Iowa. A special and
cheap rate had been made for the ex-
cursion and all sorts of people took ad-
vantage of it. When the train drew
out of Peoria at o'clock last evening
il was loaded to its utmost capacity.
Every berth in the six sleepers was
taken, and the day cars carried sixty
people each. The train was so heavy
that two engines were required to.haul
il. Three miles east or Chatsworth is
a little slough where the railroad cross
es dry run about ten feet deep and
fifteen feet wide. Over this was
stretched an ordinary trestle bridge,
and as the excursion train came thun-
dering down to it the first engineer
was Mortified at seeing that this
bridge was on fire, There was no
chance to stop. The first engineer
passed over in safety, but the bridge
broke under the great weight, and the
second,engine and cars crashed through
with their human freight. The cars
were piled on top of one another in
great confusion. On top of the engine
were two or three baggage cars and
and crashing into them came six
coaches, and only the six sleeping cars
escaped. Every passenger in the front
car was lying dead or dying, and of
those in the special car but four people
came out alive. The third car lay on
top of the second with many victims
inside. The other three cars were not
so badly crushed, but many OF the oc-
cupants were killed or manned by the
broken aud twisted seats and tim
bers. Instantly the air was filed with
the cries of the wounded and the
shrieks of the dying. There was anoth-
er danger yet to be met. The bridge
was still burning and the flames Tapped
over and around the wrecked cars, and
to fight the fire there wss not drop OF
water and only some ffty able-bodied
men who had escaped unhurt to assist
in putting ont the fire and helping the
iDjyred and dying. The earth was the
only weapon to fight the fire and for
four hours the fifty men fought like
fends to crush the fire with nandsfull
of earth. The accident occurred few
minutes before midnight and at nearly
4o'clock the victory was won and the
FIRE was put out just before the sun
rose on the scene of horror. Help then
began to arrive from neighborlng
towns and Che work of removing the
victims from the wreck proceeded more
rapid. AS the dead were laid reye1-
emily alongside Of each other out on
the cornfield there were ready hands to
take them into Chatsworth. while some
of the wounded were carried to Piper
City. One hundred and eighteen was
the awful poll of the dead while the
wounded number four times that many
A full tally of the dead cannot how
eyer be told for days. Chatsworth was
turned into a morgue to-day. The
town hall, engine house, and depot
were all full Of dead bodies while every
house in the little village had its quota
OF the wounded. There were over one